Pumpkin Chili - vegan & gluten free

I'm sorry I'm such a tease.

I posted on Instagram and then mentioned last week that I made a new kind of chili, and I'm just now telling you about it. Can we still be friends? Yes, you know what it's like to go on vacation staycation and have it somehow disappear much faster than you can understand, and certainly faster than you'd like, and just not get everything done that you'd like to?

oh good, I'm so glad that happens to other people.

Fast & Easy Tomato Sauce - vegan & gluten free

Today's recipe is all about ease. And versatility. And speed. And tastiness.

Pasta is one of those staples that I reach for on nights that I am tired, pressed for time, and/or uninspired. Taking an extra 10 minutes to make a fresh tomato sauce elevates it quite a bit, and since a lot of pre-made sauce has sugar (and other strange things) in it, making my own also makes it healthier. More like Real Food.

Fast & Easy Tomato Sauce - vegan & gluten free 
Here is a basic recipe, but the opportunities for variation are endless. Feel free to add in any other herbs or  veggies you have on hand. A couple spoonfuls of tomato paste is an option for thickening it. You can start the onions, set the pasta water over heat, and have everything ready at roughly the same time.

1 medium onion, diced
olive oil
1 (29-32-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped, or diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
fresh or dried herbs

In a large skillet or saucepan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt, and stir to coat. Cook until softened and slightly translucent. If you're adding any veggies like peppers or carrots, add them now and saute briefly.

Add tomatoes. You can either drain them before adding them, or add the whole can and it's juices. It depends on how thick you'd like your sauce. Without any liquid, it will be super chunky; will all the liquid it may be too watery and need to be cooked down. The best option may be to drain the tomatoes but reserve the liquid so you can add some as you'd like. Bring the whole thing to a boil, and allow to simmer until the pasta is ready or until it's reached your desired thickness.

Season with salt, pepper, and/or other herbs you'd like. Some obvious Italian herbs like oregano, basil, and rosemary work, but so does adding in some chile or red pepper to spice things up, fresh parsley, or even savory spices like nutmeg. Play around, and you can create many "different" pasta sauces.

How to Caramelize Onions

Caramelizing onions was, until recently, one of those things that I just didn't do, mainly because it seemed fancy and hard. But since I've tried it, I'm hooked! They taste fancy but are super simple to make. Time consuming, but simple. I recommend making a big batch at once, since it takes the same amount of time and energy to caramelize one onion as four, and because they can be stored in the refrigerator or even frozen (and, according to a commenter, you can actually make them in a slow cooker) so you can add them at will to fancy up any Plain Jane meal.

First, peel your onions and cut them in half from root to stem. I used organic yellow onions, but white should work as well. (I'm not sure about red onions- anyone?) Cut off the root and stem ends, and then slice each half lengthwise so that you have lots of strips. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil (enough to generously coat however many onions you are cooking) to a large skillet and heat on medium until the oil is shimmering. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the onions, sprinkle with salt, and stir to coat.

Stir frequently. You will probably need to to lower your heat further. You don't want to brown your onions like you might if you were sauteing them. You want them to become translucent, as in risotto. The first step in this process is when the onions start sweating. That's a good thing- you're trying to get moisture out so that the natural sugars can caramelize. Stir frequently and adjust your heat as needed. You want to strike the balance of high enough so that you don't spend the entire day stirring onions and low enough so you don't brown said onions.

Slowly, slowly, your onions will begin to shrink (from moisture loss) and go from translucent to slightly golden. This is good. Keep stirring.

Keep stirring frequently. The onions will develop beautiful caramel colors and scents. If all of your oil dries up and the onions aren't done yet, you can add a little more oil, water, wine, or stock.

That's it! The whole thing take 45-60 minutes, but you end up with deliciousness. I've been adding them from everything to pizza to sweet potatoes lately.

The Important Stuff:
1. Low heat
2. Stir frequently
3. Patience

Does that make sense? Questions? Or, if you're already a pro, what tips can you add?